Regulator



July 29, 1924. 1,503,085

E. J. BLAKE REGULATOR Filed Oct. 9, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 avwewtoz ea .BMu 75w? Mom W1 E. J. BLAKE July 29, 1924.

REGULATOR 2 Sheets-She: t 2

Filed Oct. 9, '19'20 Patented July 29, 1924.

' Buffalo, in the UNITED STATES 1,503,085 PATENT OFFICE.

ELI J. BLAKE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGN'OR TO GOULD COUPLER commmr,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

REGULATOR.

Application filed October 9, 1920. Serial No. 415,800.

To all-whom z't may concern.

Be it known that I, ELI J. BLAKE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of county of Erie and State'o't New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a regulator of the voltage type and is particularly useful as a lamp regulator on systems receiving a variable voltage, although the regulator may be used in other similar places, and some of the principles involved may be used in different kinds of regulators.

The preferred resistance element used in my regulator is of the carbon pile type, and in the following description reference will be made to the element as a carbon pile although asto some features of my inven tion other types of resistance element might be employed.

The objects of the invention are to obtain a heavy compression on the carbon pile with magnets of moderate size, consuming a moderate amount of'energy; to obtain stability of operation without the use of the usual dash-pots; to provide a compact apparatus with a wider range of carbon pile resistance while substantially avoiding the etlectsof heating when the current through the pile is high.

Abetter understanding of these and other advantages ofmy invention will be had from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingl s, forming a part thereof, and in which ig 1 shows a diagrammatical view of a car lighting system with my regulator connected in to re late the lamp .voltage,

Fig. 2 illustrates a modified form of the regulator,

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the complete regulator on a vertical disposed panel, and

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the regulator with some of the parts broken away.

In Fig. 1 a generator 1, having the usual 2, supplies energy to mains 3. A battery 4 lamps 5 are also connected across the generator and battery. The main switch 6 is of the usual type and is illustrated diagrammatically because it forms no part of this invention and it is well' known in the art as one which closes when the generator prouces a predetermined voltage and auto 17 when they are energized. The two is connected across themains and matically opens when the voltage of the en erator falls below the predetermmed amount. Connected across the contacts of the switch 6 is a coil 7 which, when operating, closes contacts between the battery and the lamps by means of the switch member 8. The switch 8 is always open when the switch 6 is closed,because when the switch 6 is closed the coil 7, which operates the switch 8, is short-circuited. Connected in the main 3 by a conductor 9 is a carbon pile having one portion made up of a series of comparatively thick carbon discs 10 and another portion of relatively thin carbon discs 11.. One contact 12 is connected to an intermediate pointv on the pile and preferably to the last thick disc 10, and the contact 13 is connected to the carbon disc at the end of the pile opposite the connection of the con ductor 9. Connected in series with the carbon pile is a coil 14 which when energized to a predetermined point, operates a switch member 15, Which connects the contacts 12 and 13 together..

onnected across the lamp circuit by means of conductor 16 are two solenoids 17 having fixed pole pieces 18. An armature 19 is pivotally mounted midway between the poles of the magnets 17 on an axis parallel with the magnet axes. This armature is urged in a clockwise direction, as shown in ig. 1, by a spring 20, and in a counterclockwise direction by the electromagnets ends of the armature are alike so that the armature is balanced between the poles of the magnet. The carbon pile is anchored at one end by means of an abutment 21 and the other end is operated upon by a head 22. This head 22 is actuated by a lever 23, piv oted at 24. The otherend of the lever 23 is provided with a roller 25 which is engaged by a cam 26, actuated by the armature 19. The head 22 is pivotally connected to material similar thereto, which carries the other parts the various parts of the regulatorproper.

- Extending between the The carbon pile is supported from thisframe as follows: Integral with this frame 50 is the bracket 32, to which are suitably secured three rods'51 which at their outer ends are secured to and support the yoke 52. bracket 32 and the yoke 52 are rods-carrying four porcelain tubes 31, upon which the carbon pile is supported. The abutment 21 at one end of the pile is engaged by a set-screw 53 passing through the yoke 52. The three rods 51 are preferably made of a material whose thermal expansion is approximately equal to the thermal expansion of the pile itself, so that the working position of the right hand end of the pile varies with its temperature. Aluminum, which has a high co-eflicient of expansion, is 'a suitable material for these rods 51. v

Connected in series with the magnets 17 is a temperature compensating resistance 33, which is carried by the base plate by means of clips 34 screwed to the base.

' spring 20 has one end fastened in a member v by means ofa link37.

35, which is fastened to the yoke 52 andis adjustable by means of nuts 36, so that the tension thereon may be regulated. The spring 20 is connected to the armature 19 The armature 19 is provided at its ends with damping bands 38, which are for the purpose of producing a gradual movement, thus aiding in'the elimination of dashpots.

' against spring The armature 19 is mounted upon a shaft 39,- the ends of which are carried by bearings 40, supported respectively upon the frame 50 and a non-magnetic bridge54 which ties the magnets 17' together. A recess'is cut in the shaft 39 and a pin 41 is screwed into the edge of the recess and constitutes a cam which operates the roller 25 on the lever 23. The magnets 17 are wound upon heavy copper sleeves 42. and rest.

vibration and are retained by cotter-pins 44 at the outer ends. Thesesleeves 42 also aid materially in the damping effect on the armature.

In Fig. 2 is shown 'a' modified construction of the means foroperating the carbon pile. Several of the parts of this arrangement are the-same as-thatshown in Fig. 1. In addition thereto, there isshowna second spring 45, erage upon a wheel 47 in an extension 46 of the lever 23, the variation of the leverage being produced by a cam 48 and a cam 49.

- The cam surfaces 48 and 49' are so designed that the maximum resultant force from the spring 45 is applied to the wheel 47 at the maximum point of compression of the carbon pile, so that the force necessary to The plies two component proportions ballconstant by washers 43, which preventwhich acts with varying lev-.

surfaces of these not so heavily compressed; and it is the ob arrangement above described to ject of the automatically off-set the increase of resist-' ance to compression of the carbon pile so that a given change in voltage on the circuit to be controlled will produce the same eifect whether the carbon pile is lightly or heavily compressed. 1n the arrangement of T Fig. 2 the spring 20 serves merely as a standard of torque to be attained by the magnet 17 corresponding to a definite Voltage adjustment. Thus the carbon pile and the spring 45,. acting through the cams 48 and 49, constitute a balance system like a counterweighted window sash. nets 17 and spring tion of the former system but are not required to expend power upon it except in overcoming friction. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, the single spring 20 supof torque;

The maga roughly constant component is used to balance the torque of the magnet and the.

20 determine the posiother component varies with varying posit-ions of the. armature andserves to compress the pile, because in the which the spring acts gradually increases approximately with the increase to resistance tocompression.

direction of compression, the efiective radius through.

The operation of the system as shown Fig. '1 is asfollows When the generator has attained a speed suflicient to give a predetermined voltage,-

the main switch 6 closes and theswitoh 8 opens, putting the carbon between the battery and the lamps. The voltage at the lamps will be maintained the variation of resistance of the carbon pile, of the regulator.

The switch 15 will remain open until the lamp load has reached a predeterminedvalue will close switch 15 and the carbon pile. 'When the current is heavy, less resistance is needed in the carbon pile to develop the necessary voltage drop across the pile, so that the relatively few contacting surfaces between the thicker discs 10 of the pile will be suflicient to give the necessary voltage drop, while the large radiating discs takes care 0 the greater heat developed at this time. Whenever the lamp load drops below a predetermined value, switch 15 opens and the thin discs 11 are put again into use in series when the lamp current passing through the coil 14 thereby. short-circuit the thin discs 11 of pile in series effected by the magnet 17 i with the discs 10, so that higher resistance and a greaternumber of contacting surfaces may be employed under circumstances where the heating of the pileis insufficient to require the use of thicker discs througlr out, but where a higher resistance in the pile is required to produce the same voltage at the lamps.

When for any reason the generator slows down so that its voltage drops below that of the-battery 4, the main switch-6 will open, whereupon the magnet 7 will attract the armature and close the switch 8 which short-circuits the entire carbon pile and puts the battery directly across the lamps. The operation of the device in Fig. 2 is specifically the same as that of Fig.

I have been enabled to dispense with ,the dashpot, ordinarily found necessary in regulators of this type, because of various con-. tributing features of construction, including the reduction of to the relative lightness of the moving parts resulting from the character of the magnet employed, the construction whereby the magnet cannot open the pile and start a hunting action, and the provision of the electrical damping means described. Many modifications may be made in the apparatus shown to carry out the principles above set forth, and, therefore, I do not desire to be limited to the exact details shown, but have shown and described apparatus in detail merely as an example of one form of means forcarrying out the principles of the invention.

It should be noted that in the. preferred type of construction the cores or pole pieces '18 are parallel to the axis of the armature and have pole faces formed integrally on their outer ends which are substantially concentric with the axis of the armature, these cores being of uniform cross section cut away at the ends to form the pole faces. These cores project from a magnetic base,

namely, the frame 50 which acts as a magnetic base therefor, and the pole faces are so formed in the ends thereof that the electro-ma-gnet coils may be applied and removed over the pole faces. The advantages of'the construction described include the possibility of using a small air gap with correspondingly small exciting current, adaptability for constant. torque throughout the movement of the armature or a desired yariation of torque, easy maintenance of the mature, the resulting momentum and inertia due the preferred construction, to obtain the best effect. These features comprise, first, con structing the armature as a quick acting member, having very small inertia in proportion to the forces acting on it so that it 'will have relatively small momentum during its necessary regulating motions in service Accordingly, the armature is more readily able to follow changing conditions, and is ,less likely to bethrown mto a state of continned oscillation. Second, slow-acting magnetic circuits, which maybe produced by the heavy copper. sleeves on the cores referred to, or by the damping bands 38, and preferably by both. Sleeves 42 art as short circuited secondary windings about the magnet cores, bands 38 having a simi lar effect. Inthe event of any disturbance tending to set up an oscillation of the ar pulsation of magnetic flux through the cores induces relatively large currents in the short circuited sleeves and bands, with the result that the oscillations are quickly damped out. The sleeves 42 must have sufficient conductance to accomplish the desired purpose. Such a construction restricts the magnetic changes to a speed which can be followed by the'quick acting armature with very little tendency on the part of the latter to overswing. More generally speaking, the moving mechanism and the magnetic or electric circuits should be given widely dissimilar characteristics as regards rapidity of action, whereby the production of cumulative oscillations is minimized. It should be noted, in thisconnee tion, that a vibrator in an electric bell or the like, is only operative when the time characteristics of the clapper and the cir cuits are reasonably commensurate.

Another feature contributing to the insurance of stability of operation, without the use of dash pots, consists in avoidance of any discontinuity in the resistance variation of the carbon pile. In some other regulators it has been customary to connect the mechanism to the terminal carbons in such a manner that over travel of the mechanism may result in an actual open circuit through the pile. making or breaking. contact is similar to the action of an electric bell or buzzer; that is when the circuit is broken the magnets are de-energized and the mechanism returns to a position of contact. The pull exerted by the magnets is then once more sufiicient to caus the circuit to open and vibration may result. In the present regulator the mechanical connections are such that the carbons may be completely relieved of external pressure but cannot be drawn out of contact. In the present construction there is no mechanical connection whereby head 22 may be drawn out of contact with the pile.

The result at the point of just It should also be noted that the electric circuits. provided by copper sleeves 42 and bands 38 are designed to rapidly dissipate by the currents induced therein the energy of such movements of the moving parts as occur, before overswing can occur.. The sleeves and dampers thus have two functions, the retardation of magnetic changes and the dissipation of the energy of such movements as do occur, to prevent overthrow, i. e., render the mechanismdeadbeat. A further feature contributing to the result desired consists in the mechanical balance of the parts which has been provided for to avoid oscillation which might be introduced by mechanical jarring actions.

In regard to the construction which has been'described whereby the abutment 21 at one end of the carbon pile is in effect supported in its position against the pile by the rods 51 formed, of material having a like thermal expansion to that of the pile, 'it should be noted that the intention is to maintain the position of the pile unchanged at all times in relation to the members 22 and 23. I desire to avoid change of position of the carbon p'ile,=due to thermal expansion because of the fact that the regu-' lator. is constructed to balance the pressure of'the carbons in all positions of the armature so that any considerable change of positionof the carbon pile for a given pressure would disturb the state of balance. It may be noted that the total expansion of the supporting rods and of the carbons of the pile, each at its own-temperature increase, should be the same. The temperature rise is actually less in the rods than in the carbons, and accordingly the rods should have a somewhat higher coefficient of expansion (i. e., expansion per degree of temperature rise) than the carbons, in order that the total thermal expansion of the rods and carbons should be equalized.

Having described my invention what I now claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. In a regulator the combination of a carbon pile, two electro-magnets having parallel cores, an armature, pivoted on an axis between said cores and parallel thereto,

pole faces formed on said cores substantially concentric with the axis of said armature, a

lever for operating said pile, and a roller operatively interposed between the armature and said lever whereby movement of the armature operates the levervto vary the resistance of said pile.

2. In a regulator, a carbonpile, a magnet having opposing pole faces and an armature pivotally mounted between them at its center of gravity and attracted at each end by one of said poles, closed electric circuits afiected responsively to the movehaving opposingpole mentlof said armature for damping said movement, and means for causing the movemerit ofsaid magnet to vary the compresmovement, and means for causing the movement of said armature to vary the compression of said pile.

4. In a regulator, carbon pile, two electromagnets having parallel pole pieces, the windings of said magnets being wound upon heavy copper sleeves, and an armature pivoted at its center of gravity between said pole pieces and attracted at-each end by one of said pole pieces, said armature having closed electric circuits about its end portions aifected responsively to the movement of said armature for damping said movement, and said armature being designed to have small inertia in proportion to the forces acting thereon, and means detached-from but engaging the armature and operating upon the carbon pile.

5. In a regulator, the combination of a carbon pile, two electromagnets having parallel pole pieces, and an armature pivoted at its center of gravity between said pole pieces and attracted at each end by one of said pole pieces,

the combination of a the combination of a said armature being dei signed to have small inertia in proportion to the forces acting thereon, and having magnetic electric means thereon for damping the movement of said armature, a lever said electromagnets.

' 6. In a regulator, the combination of a 7 carbon pile, two electromagnets having parallel pole pieces, and an armature pivoted at its center of gravity between said pole pieces and attracted at each end by one of said pole pieces, said armaturev being designed to havesmall inertia in proportion to the forces. acting thereon, and having a sluggish closed electric circuit means for damping movement of the armature, and means, comprising a member detached from but engaging the armature, for varyingthe compression of said pile.

7. In 'aregulator, a carbon pile, a magnet faces and an armature magnetic circuit, anddead beat. I

pivotally mounted between them at its center of gravity and attracted at each end by one of said poles, closed electric circuits afspring acting upon the armature in opposition to the magnet, and means detached from but en aging the armature and operating upon t e carbon pile.

8.v In a regulator the combination of a carbon pile, an electromagnet having oppositely disposed pole faces, an armature pivoted substantiallyv at its center of gravity on an axis between said pole faces and adapted to swing into and out of alignment therewith, means whereby movement of said armature varies the resistance'of said pile, and electromagnetic means damping the mechanism to an extent to prevent overthrow of'the armature andI-render the mechanism 9. In a regulator the.combination of a carbon pile, an electromagnet having oppositely disposed pole faces, an armature pivoted between said faces and adapted to swing into and out of alignment therewith, means whereby movement of the armature varies the resistance of the pile and electrically conducting damping bands on the. armature on opposite sides of its axis substantially preventing overthrow of the armature and whereby the mechanism is rendered substantially dead beat by electromagnetic means.

10. In a regulator for an electrical circuit combination of a compressible carbon pile the opposition to compression of which in-- creases as the 'pile is compressed, means exerting a substantially constant component of force acting to compress said pile, avariable component of force for assisting said constant component of force and increasing in its value as the "opposition to compression increases, and substantially ofi'setting said increase of opposition and a variable force dependent upon the condition of the circuit to be regulated for opposing the constant component of force and its assisting variable force.

11. In a regulator for controlling a circuit, the combination ofa compressible re-.

sistance element, means tending to compress the element, means assistin in the compression of said element, the sai assistance varying automatically as the opposition to compression varies and means controlled by the controlled circuit vfor opposing the joint action of the other two means.

7 12. In a regulator for controlling a circuit, the combination ofa carbon pile, a spring acting to compress said pile, a spring acting through a varying leverage to assist the first spring, the assistance varying, as the opposition to compression varies and acting to offset said varying opposition and a magnetic member actuated by the controlled circuit for opposing the resultant force of said springs.

13. In a regulator the combination of a carbon pile anchored at one end, a pivoted lever operating on the other end of the pile. a spring operating on the free end of said lever through avarying leverage dependent upon the degree of compression of said pile,

a magnetic member acting on said lever to release the pressure of the pile and a spring acting in opposition to said magnetic member.

14. In a regulator the combination of a compressible variable resistance, a member acting on one end of said resistance to vary the compression thereof, two parallel links supporting saidmember and electromagnetic means operating said member.

15. In a regulator, the combination of a carbon pile, a magnetic base, a pair of par allel pole pieces projecting from said base, and having faces so formed in the ends thereof that coils may be applied and removed over the same, electromagnet coils so applied, anarmature pivoted between said pole attracted to one pole face and the other end to the other face, and means for causingthe movement of said armature to vary the compression of the pile.

16. In a regulator the combination of a carbon pile, an electro-magnet and its armature and mechanical connections between the armature and the pile whereby variations to apply pressure to said pile, said parts being operatively separated when the strength of the magnet decreases to a predeterminedyalue whereby the pressing on the pile is determined by the first spring independently of the second spring.

17 In a regulator the combination of a carbon pile, an electromagnetically controlled-lever operating on one end of the pile, a framev for sup orting said pile and lever, expansible mem ers fixed tosaid frame adjacent said operating end ofthe pile and extending parallel to the. pile toward the opposite end thereof, and an abutmentfor said opposite end of the pile'carried by said expansible members adjacent said op osite,

' parallel cores with arcuate pole faces at their outerends, and an armature arranged to swing between saidpole faces in a plane parallel to said base, exciting and damping windings surrounding the magnetic circuit, a spring tending to displace the armature from alignment in the magnetic circuit, and means for causing the movement of said arfnature" to vary the compression of the pl 6- I 19. In a regulator, the combination of a carbon pile, means providing a'magnetic circuit, comprising a .base, a-pair of projecting parallel cores with arcuate pole faces at their outer ends,- and an armature arranged to swing between said pole faces, exciting and damping windings surround ng the magnetic circuit, a spring tending to.

displace the armature from alignment in the .magnetic circuit, and means detached from but engaging the armature and operating upon therp' e.

-- moaoss- 20. In a regulator, the combination of a carbon pile, an abutment for one end thereof, a movable abutment engaging the opposite end thereof, said first abutment being thermal changes-thereof, a lever actuating said movable abutment, an .electromagnet and a torsion armature for controlling the movement of said lever.

21. In a regulator, the combination of a carbon pile, an abutment for one endthereof, a movable abutment engaging the opposite end thereof, said first abutment being arranged to expand and contract in substan tially the same manner as said pile, with thermal changes thereof, mechanism actuating said movable -abutment, including a swinging armature and connections between the same and said abutment, and an electromagnet for said armature, and means acting on said armature to balance the pressure of the carbon pile in all positions of the armature.

Signed "at Depew, in the county of Erie and State-of New York this' 7th day of October A. D. 1920.

' v ELI'J. BLAKE. 

